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India Today
07-07-2025
- Science
- India Today
This blast outside Solar System was so powerful Earth's atmosphere vibrated
A cosmic explosion so intense it vibrated Earth's atmosphere and briefly outshone every star in the sky led to astronomers rewrite what we knew about the universe's most powerful December 27, 2004, a flash of high-energy light from across the Milky Way was detected by satellites and telescopes source: a 'giant flare' from a magnetar, an exotic, ultra-magnetic neutron star, known as SGR 1806-20, located about 50,000 light-years away in the constellation The burst was so bright that it bounced off the Moon and illuminated Earth's upper atmosphere, surpassing the brightness of a full moon for a fraction of a second.'This might be a once-in-a-lifetime event for astronomers, as well as for the neutron star,' said Dr. David Palmer of Los Alamos National Laboratory, who led a team that analysed the data from NASA's Swift satellite. 'We knew of only two other giant flares in the 35 years before the signal, and the December 2004 event was one hundred times more powerful'. The flare's energy output was staggering: in just over a tenth of a second, the magnetar released more energy than the Sun emits in 1,50,000 years. The gamma rays ionised Earth's upper atmosphere, briefly expanding the ionosphere and demonstrating the direct impact such distant cosmic phenomena can have on our Are Magnetars?Magnetars are the collapsed cores of massive stars that exploded as supernovae. Though only about 15 miles in diameter, these neutron stars possess magnetic fields trillions of times stronger than Earth's, making them the most magnetic objects their magnetic fields 'snap,' releasing bursts of X-rays and gamma rays—sometimes culminating in rare, catastrophic giant flares like the 2004 sheer power of the SGR 1806-20 flare led scientists to ponder whether similar, closer eruptions could have triggered mass extinctions on Earth in the distant past. If such a blast occurred within 10 light-years, it could devastate the ozone layer and threaten life. International teams continue to analyse data from radio telescopes and satellites. (Photo: Getty) Moreover, this event prompted astronomers to reconsider the origins of some short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), previously thought to be from distant black hole-forming evidence now suggests that some could be from magnetar flares in nearby galaxies, blurring the lines between different types of cosmic explosions.A New Era in High-Energy AstronomyThe 2004 flare, and a similar event detected on April 15, 2020, from a magnetar in a neighbouring galaxy, confirm that these rare eruptions are not confined to our Milky Way. advertisementInternational teams continue to analyse data from radio telescopes and satellites, with a multitude of scientific papers the universe reveals its most violent secrets, astronomers are reminded that even the most distant stars can leave a mark, sometimes, quite literally, on our own world.- EndsMust Watch
India Today
24-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
World's largest digital camera unveils dazzling first images of the universe
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, perched atop Cerro Pachon in Chile, has released the first breathtaking images from the world's largest digital camera, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the initial 'first look' shots, unveiled Monday, showcase vibrant scenes of nebulas, stars, and galaxies—heralding a new era in astronomical observatory's 3,200-megapixel camera, the largest ever constructed, captured the colorful Trifid and Lagoon nebulas—vast clouds of gas and dust located thousands of light-years from Earth in the constellation These images, composed from hundreds of exposures taken over just seven hours, reveal intricate details and previously hidden structures within these stellar nurseries. The LSST Camera at the heart of Rubin Observatory captures extremely fine features in distant galaxies, stars, and other celestial objects. (Photo: VCRO) Also featured are dazzling spiral galaxies within the Virgo Cluster, including two bright blue spirals, and a mosaic of millions of stars and galaxies, some never before by the US National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, the $810 million observatory is set to scan the southern sky every three to four nights for the next decade, aiming to image 20 billion galaxies and discover countless new asteroids and celestial phenomena. advertisementIn its first test observations alone, the Rubin Observatory identified thousands of asteroids, including several near-Earth objects, none of which pose a threat to our planet. Rubin will generate approximately 20 terabytes of data per night, plus an additional 15 petabyte catalog database. (Photo: VCRO) Named after pioneering astronomer Vera Rubin—whose work provided the first compelling evidence for dark matter—the observatory is poised to deepen our understanding of the universe's most elusive mysteries, including dark energy and the nature of cosmic evolution.'The Rubin Observatory will capture more information about our universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined,' said Brian Stone, acting director of the National Science Foundation. The amount of data gathered by Rubin Observatory in its first year alone will be greater than that collected by all other optical observatories combined. (Photo: VCRO) Scientists and astronomers worldwide are eagerly anticipating the observatory's full scientific mission, which promises to transform our view of the cosmos and inspire new generations of more images are released, the world will watch as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory continues its groundbreaking journey, mapping the universe in stunning detail and revealing the ever-changing tapestry of the night sky- Ends
